I have never shared my whole story with anyone before. Perhaps I find it hard to talk about or perhaps I am just scared to death. Not to share of course, but because of the unknown future it holds. But if one person reads it, benefits from it and takes the next step of getting the dreaded mammogram then it will all be worth it. If it saves one life that would be priceless.

Last week, The Pink Cart hit a major milestone. Three local haulers, who normally compete with each other for customers, banded together to bring Pink Carts to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The haulers, Dick's Sanitation, Troje's Trash & Recycling and Walter's Recycling & Refuse, all had their own story to tell about cancer.

This week we'll enter into September and face the sad truth that Summer is winding down and Fall is just around the corner. As the leaves begin to change, we in the PINK community also start to shift our focus to the pinnacle event for breast cancer awareness and support - October. Every October breast cancer support groups, charities and advocacy organizations flock to the streets, websites, blogs, social media channels, TV, and add their message to the caucus of PINK voices heard throughout the month.

Breast Cancer isn't funny. It's scary. It can be overwhelming and intimidating. It's also something that 1 in 8 women will experience in her lifetime. It becomes a part of these women's lives, becomes a part of their families' lives. And most of the time, it's certainly not the only thing they've got going on! They all have to keep going, keep moving, keep working, keep paying their bills. And, hopefully, they keep laughing as much as they can.

In our Pink Cart journey, we've long been hoping for a Pink City. Can you imagine? Pink Carts at every home, at every curb, on every street, on every block, in an entire city! Can you imagine the level of awareness those residents would have about the risk factors of breast cancer, about the importance of early detection in saving lives?

Woo hoo! There are now 30,000 Pink Carts at curbs across the U.S. raising awareness and $150,000 in funds for the fight against breast cancer. We have worked long and hard to get here and want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone in our PINK Community for their passion and commitment to this important cause. We could nothave done this without you!

PINK is too girly, too cutesie, too feminine. Believe us, after a year of working on the Pink Cart program, we've heard it all. Teenage boys, husbands, fathers, and yes, women, too, all have something to say about Pink Carts. Too bold, too brazen, too bright. And that's ok with us, because that's exactly why we make them PINK!

Summer is in full swing - flowers are blooming, beaches are filling up and PINK is popping up everywhere. From garden gloves to jewelry to trash carts, people are displaying their passion for pink and their own breast cancer advocacy. How is PINKpopping up in your neighborhood?